NFPA Paralegal Core Competency Exam (PCCE)Legal Writing and CommunicationMedium
A paralegal is drafting a motion to compel discovery responses. The supervising attorney has highlighted the need for the motion to be as concise as possible, while still including all necessary legal and factual arguments. Which of the following strategies best promotes conciseness in this legal document?
- AIncluding extensive historical background of the discovery dispute.
- BQuoting entire statutes and case opinions at length.
- CEliminating redundant phrases and focusing on essential facts and law.
- DUsing long, complex sentences with multiple clauses.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Eliminating redundant phrases and focusing on essential facts and law.
Conciseness in legal drafting means communicating information effectively using the fewest possible words. Eliminating redundant phrases and focusing only on essential facts and law directly achieves this goal without sacrificing clarity or completeness.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Extensive historical background, unless directly relevant to the legal argument, adds unnecessary length and detracts from conciseness.
- B. Quoting at length is generally discouraged in concise drafting; rather, key principles should be summarized or paraphrased, with citations provided.
- D. Long, complex sentences often make a document less concise and harder to read, rather than more so.
Conciseness in Motion Drafting
The practice of communicating legal arguments and facts clearly and completely using the fewest possible words, avoiding redundancy and unnecessary detail.
- Removes wordiness
- Focuses on essential information
- Enhances clarity and impact
Memory trick: Concise writing cuts the clutter.